R Madhavan’s decision to move from Chennai to Dubai during the pandemic was driven not by professional ambitions, but by his son Vedaant’s pursuit of excellence in swimming. The actor relocated to provide better training opportunities for the young athlete, who has since emerged as a promising swimmer. Vedaant is currently training in Ahmedabad with the Indian contingent ahead of the Asian Games. Madhavan believes his son’s journey may have taken a different direction if the family had not made the move to Dubai at a crucial stage of his development.However, Madhavan is aware that Vedaant’s recognition is also influenced by his father’s celebrity status. The actor recently acknowledged that several swimmers in India may be more talented but do not receive the same level of attention. Madhavan said in an interview with Behindwoods TV, “Along with Vedaant, there are many swimmers in India who are even better than him. But because they aren’t my son, they don’t get as much spotlight.” He added, “Wherever I go, people talk about him because he is my son. I told him only one thing: ‘Stardom is a very dangerous thing, my friend. You got it at a very young age. Learn how to handle it because it comes and goes, and mental peace shouldn’t be affected,’” added the actor.Explaining the importance of timing in an athlete’s growth, Madhavan said there is a critical phase during adolescence when young swimmers need consistent training to reach international standards. “For a child to become an international athlete, there is a ‘growth spurt’ period. During adolescence, between ages 10 and 17, suddenly you see a child grow 3 inches in a month! That’s called a growth spurt. If they don’t train hard during that window, their body will never be ready for the international level,” said the actor.For Vedaant, that important phase arrived in 2020 when he was 14. But the COVID-19 pandemic brought swimming activities across India to a standstill, with public pools shutting down for an extended period. The family attempted alternatives, including training in private pools and facilities in Goa, but those arrangements were not sustainable.Recalling how the move came about, Madhavan shared that his wife Sarita took the initiative. “Whether you come or not, I need a swimming pool.” Since the Indian national team was training in Dubai, she decided to relocate there, allowing Vedaant to continue his training for the next two years.Madhavan has consistently supported his son’s ambition and believes parents should recognize dedication and determination in children from an early age.“There’s an important thing I want to tell parents. In this day and age, I don’t know how important studies alone are, but parents should observe if a child has ‘grit’ at a young age and help them. Parents can identify that,” said the actor.The actor also highlighted the discipline required to succeed in swimming, pointing out that Vedaant’s commitment stood out from a young age.“I put Vedaant into many sports, but with swimming, the key rule everywhere in the world is: no matter what happens, you must be in the pool at 5:30 am. Whatever the weather, the global rule is you must be in the pool from 5:00 to 7:00 am to swim, and 5:00 to 7:00 pm in the evening, with physical training in between. I never needed to wake him up for swimming; he would be ready in my room at 4:30 am. So that discipline was set,” added Madhavan.Although his family’s base shifted to Dubai to support Vedaant’s sporting ambitions, Madhavan continues to work in Indian cinema. His upcoming project is Krishnakumar Ramakumar’s Tamil period drama GDN, a biopic on the life of inventor and engineer Gopalswamy Doraiswamy Naidu, popularly known as the “Edison of India.” The film is scheduled to arrive in theatres on August 7.
